Safety appliance for reeling moving-picture films.



N. H. BROWN.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR REBLING MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1909. 930,037. I 1 Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES 9 fawn/r m 'W4' A J v I v. 4 I IN%OR m v N. H. BROWN. SAFETY QPPL IANOE FOR REELING MOVING PICTURE FILMS. APPLICATION FILED APB..15, 1909.

930,037. I Patented Aug. 3,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. WITNESSES: I I YIIWEIVITOR m a. M

Arron/15K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL H. BROWN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAMS, BROWN & EARLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A FIRM.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOB REELING MOVING-PICTURE FILMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, inthecounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Reeling Moving-Picture Films, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety appliance for rewinding or reeling films for belng used again in the magazine of a moving picture machine; and more particularly an appliance adapted to safeguard the film, as far as possible against fire during the rewinding or reeling and at the same time so arranged as to permit of examination being made or repairs while rewinding or reeling is going on, to correct inequalities in the films, ragged edges of the films or repairing breaks therein, requiring to be rejoined with accuracy in respect to sections thereof.

My invention, therefore, consists of a safety appliance for rewinding or reeling moving picture films and examining or re pairing the same, during-rewinding or reeling constructively arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed. I

T he nature and. scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1, is a side elevational view of a safety appliance for rewinding or reeling moving picture films and as constructively arranged, embodying the main features of my said invention. Fig. 2, is a top or plan view of the appliance. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section through the appliance on the line at, m, of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a side elevation al view of a modified form of the appliance, showing the two sections thereof,

formed integrally with the sprin controlled front doors and with the interna perforated line y, y, ofFig. 6,

ing a brake-device suitably connected with f said housing or casing and operative from the outside thereof, for controlling thes eed of rotation of the film unwinding reel 0 the said appliance. Fig. 7, is a vertical central section through the said brake-device on the Fig. 8, is a similar view, through the said film unwinding reel and portion of its housing or casing, showing in detail the detachable arrangement thereof, Within said housing or casing. Fig. 9, is a vertical central sectional view, partly in elevation of the winding-on reel reniovably mounted in its protective housing or casing and with a pulley-wheel outside back of the casing, for operatively permitting of the revolving of said reel; and Fi 10, 1s a broken sectional view as shown, 0 the winding-on reel hub provided with spring clips for gripping an end of a film to hold the same while eing Wound onto the hub of the said reel by the rotating of the same. 1

Referring to the drawings A, is a platform upon which are mounted two square or other shaped metal housin s or casings a and a, having spring controlled side doors a and a with handles or buttons (1, whereby when either door is opened by hand upon release of the hand from the button the door will spring against the casing or housing a. or a. From the interior centrally of the housing or casing 0., projects from the back of the same a bearing 1;, for engaging athreadedpin 6, upon which a reel B, Is mounted to revolve thereon. 'This reel B, is held on the pin b, by means of a jam-nut V. In one sidewall of each housing Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is

the film to be wound off of the reel B, is extended and above and below this slit a ,are arranged two revolu-ble guide-rolls a and 0, journaled to brackets a which are suitably attached to the slitted side walls of the housings or casings a and 0, These rolls not only guide the impelled film to and between the rolls a. and a, of each of the slitted side walls of the housings or casings, but also prevent in case of thefiring of the film of such extending into either of the casings or housings for the reason that these rolls as practice has demonstrated, extinguish or smother the fired film, by the film surface coming in contact with said rolls.

Between the housings or casings a and a,

is arranged a space to provide unobstructed provided a slit a through which an end of film. The stri room to examine carefully a traveling film from one housing to the other and so as to detect irregularities as well as ragged edges of the film and to enable such irregularities or other necessar repairs to be quickly made before the fi m d, in passing from the unwinding reel B, of the housing a, reaches the winding-on reel B, inthe housing 0 The platform A, between the said housings a and a, is provided preferably with a pane of glass 0, and beneath may be located a powerul light, such as an electric lamp for reflecting said li ht through the pane of glass and onto the housing a, close to or over the pane of glass to readily make whatever necessary repairs to'the film (1, may be required and before such film passes onto the winding-on reel B within the housing a.

In the interior of the housing a, and secured preferably to the roof of the same pro jects a strip at", having a cross-piece a, of rubber or wood arran ed tobe brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the reel B, Figs. 3, 6 and 7, to control the s eed of rotation of the unwinding reel B. his is highly desirable, to prevent damage to a a is arranged to be operated by a pus -pin (1 projecting through the roof of the housing a, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,4 and 6.

The reel B, in the housing or casing a is mounted on a shaft a", extending through a boss a, secured to the back of the housing a, and threaded at each end to receive at the front end within the housing a 'am-nut a", and on the opposite threade end a grooved pulley a, revolving with the shaft a", and between the inner end of the boss a and reel B in position in the housing a, is provided on the shaft a", a collar 0., as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The pulley a", is revolved by a belt a, passing around a larger grooved-wheel (L journaled to a bracket (1., secured to the housing a, and which wheel a, is operated by a handle a, for revolving said beltand pulley-mechanism to actuate the reel B to rewind a film from the reel B, for use in the magazine of a moving picture machine, not shown.

In Fig. 4, the arrangement of the safety appliance differs from the appliance illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, in that the two sections a and a, of the appliance, are made as but a single structure, with spring controlled doors a, a, and the structure mounted on a platform A, with the two sections of the appliance se arated from each other by an internal er orated partition on", as shown and throug which perforation the film is adapted to pass from the unwinding reel B, onto the winding-on reel B, by operating the handle a, of the belt-andulley-operating means of the reel B, and w en a finger has beenplaced upon the push-button a, of the while being drawn from the brake-device of the reel B, to control the speed of rotation of the unwinding reel B, in action.

The preferred arrangement of the safety appliance is that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclu- SlVG', due to the facility with which an examination as well as repairs to the films can be made for subsequent use.

Each of the hubs of the reels B, B, may be provided witha spring clip e, Fig. 10, for engaging an end of the film to hold the same during winding or unwinding from either reel.

It will be observed that by arranging the two housings or casings a and 0., containing the reels B and B, in the manner explained, first, the ap liance can be conveniently handled as we 1 as placed to afford the greatest possible convenience in use; second, repairs to a film can be readily made, during rewinding; third, the brake-device on the full reel to be unwound will readily control the speed of the unwinding because too rapid unwinding is calculated to tear a film or to give it ragged edges or even to tangle the film; and fifth, as only a short length of a film is ex osed between housings of the safety app iance, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the rolls adjacent to each of the slits a, of the housings (i and a, between which the films pass from one housing to the other will protect such against firing within'either of them, for the reason that surface contact of the rolls with the burning film will every time quickly extinguish the flaming film before any fire reaches the interior of either housing or casing.

Havingthus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a safety appliance of the character described, housings having spring controlled doors and slits in one of the walls, reels in each of said housings, one movably mounted on a support and the other mounted on a shaft and revolving therewith, means located outside one of the housings on said shaft and adapted to be actuated from the front of said housing and means connected with the other of said housings and arranged to engage the reel within said housing to control the speed thereof.

2. In a safety ap liance of the character described, housings aving spring controlled doors and with slits in one of the walls having rolls above and below the slits, reels in each of the housings, one movably mounted on a support and the other mounted on a shaft and revolving therewith, means located voutside of the housing on said shaft and adapted to be actuated from the front of the housing, anda brake-device located in one of said housin s and arranged to engage the reel to control the speed of rotation of the same.

3. In a safety appliance of the character described, a platform, two housin s mounted thereon but separated from eac other to provide an intervening space, said housings rovided with slits in one of the walls, a brake'device in one of the housings adapted to be operated from the outside, said housings having s ring actuated front doors, reels mounted 1n each of said housings, one mounted on a support and the other revoluble on a shaft and means to actuate the same and operated from the front of said housing.

4. In a safety appliance of the character described, a platform, two housings mounted thereon and arranged to provide a space bedevice movably connected with the interior of the other of said housin and operated f mm the outside for control ing the speed of rotation of the reel within said housing.

5. In a safety appliance of the character described, two housings mounted side by side but with a space provided between them, said housings having side slits with 1 rolls above and below each of said slits, reels mounted in said housings and one of said reels movable with a shaft, means for actuating said shaft, and a brake-device adapted to be connected with the other reel of said housings for'cont-rolling the speed of rotation i of the same.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set tween having a glass insert, reels mounted my signature in the presence of two subscrib- 40 in said housings having spring actuated doors, one of said reels mounted on a support E and the other revoluble with a shaft journaled to said housing, means located on the outside of said housing and operated from the front to actuate said shaft, and a brakej ing witnesses NATHANIEL H. BROWN.

Witnesses: I

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

